Genetic testing Yes/No

Upon reviewing the risks/benefits on these we have determined we are willing to do the quad screen (just a blood test for me) but nothing else.
For those of you who aren't familiar with this stuff let me explain:
As I am an older mom they are concerned with my chances for chromosomal abnormalities in the fetus (the older your eggs are the more degraded they can be).
Here is the chart all the sights are so keen on
 Maternal Age Related Risks

Mom's Age     Risk for trisomy 21      Risk for all trisomies
20                       1 in 1,667                        1 in 526
21                       1 in 1,429                        1 in 526
22                       1 in 1,429                        1 in 500
23                       1 in 1,429                        1 in 500
24                       1 in 1,250                        1 in 476
25                       1 in 1,250                        1 in 476
26                       1 in 1,176                        1 in 476
27                       1 in 1,111                        1 in 455
28                       1 in 1,053                        1 in 435
29                       1 in 1,000                        1 in 417
30                       1 in 952                           1 in 384
31                       1 in 909                           1 in 384
32                       1 in 769                          1 in 323
33                       1 in 625                          1 in 286
34                       1 in 500                          1 in 238
35                       1 in 385                          1 in 192
36                       1 in 294                          1 in 156
37                       1 in 227                          1 in 127
38                       1 in 175                          1 in 102
39                       1 in 137                          1 in 83
40                       1 in 106                          1 in 66
41                       1 in 82                            1 in 53
42                       1 in 64                            1 in 42
43                       1 in 50                            1 in 33
44                       1 in 38                            1 in 26
45                       1 in 30                            1 in 21
46                       1 in 23                            1 in 16
47                       1 in 18                            1 in 13
48                       1 in 14                           1 in 10
49                       1 in 11                            1 in 8

 

Now, keep in mind early screening generally focuses on Trisomy 21, more commonly known as Down's Syndrome. We aren't worried about Down's, in my experience in life extra chromosome=extra awesome. What does concern us are the other trisomies which are "incompatible with life"

The question then becomes what do you do if the initial screening comes back positive for one of the trisomies? You have options of other tests. They all do however pose a threat, however minor to the fetus. So, when you have already been informed that your pregnancy is pseudo high risk (because of your age and what can come of that fact alone) you aren't willing to take too many other chances. 

The two main tests, both of which are pretty invasive (from the Bean's perspective):

CVS (Chorionic Villus Sampling): Where they take a sample from where the placenta meets the uterine wall.
This is done between the 10th and 13th week of pregnancy. (Why is that important, because it is before the major risk of miscarriage has past. And while the odds of miscarriage are only 1 in 100 but since my chances of conceiving naturally were about 52% I don't listen to odds too much) Some studies have also shown a link between CVS and babies born with missing fingerprints or toes, not a big deal but why do it if it isn't absolutely necessary?

Amniocentesis: I think most people are familiar with this one BIG freakin' needle through the abdomen (guided by ultrasound of course) to obtain amniotic fluid from the placenta. So...they have been doing this one for decades, why worry....because it is no safer today then it was 20 years ago. There is still increased risk of uterine infection, miscarriage, leaking amniotic fluid, and Rh sensitization (which may or may not be a factor for us.) And that doesn't even take into account if your little one is a squirmer, while the chances of for serious needle injury are rare they do still exist. 

So we have decided that we will not proceed beyond the quad screening which will be done at about 16-18 weeks. We are only doing that one because there is no risk to the Bean and it will put the midwife's mind at ease.

So while I understand some people's desire to know ahead of time etc...It doesn't really matter to us. Bean has so much to teach us regardless of how any test comes out, so yeah I won't risk the health of my baby or pregnancy on a test, which isn't foolproof anyway.

Ciao for now~
marymontmama

 

 

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Guest Post: SOME...ONES...GO...NNA...SEEDABABY

Hey everybody, James here, the other half of this baby making team. Anyone who knows me (or is my friend on facebook for that matter) can tell you how excited I am for this baby... for our little Bean. Today, that excitement increased a hundred fold for two simple reasons.

1. We saw the baby on the ultrasound.

Bean had its back to us, but the little blob we saw on the screen was definitely a forming baby, with a head end, a rear end, and little arm and leg buds.

2. We heard a little heartbeat.

Well, not so little. 170 beats per minute.

As I heard the sound of our baby's heartbeat for the first time, I was overwhelmed. It was suddenly more real to me. There was a baby there. A living Bean (see what I did there) that I had a part in creating. A new life that I'm going to have the privilege of helping to raise from the day it is born. First cry, first laugh, first tooth, first steps... and that's just the beginning of the list.

This is something I've known that I've wanted for a LONG time and was getting to the point where I was wondering if it was ever going to truly happen. We'd been trying for over a year less than successfully, and I was starting to resign myself to the fact that we were going to have to be the best aunt and uncle ever... which we still plan to be, but this is a different league entirely.

We are now (and have been for exactly nine weeks) responsible for the safe upbringing of a child. BEST JOB EVER. I can't wait.

-James

How can we blog while our earth is turning

Sorry, if I just got that magnificent Midnight Oil song stuck in your head, (although it is an amazing song so maybe you should just suck it up and keep humming it while you read.)
Anyway, this week has been the week of spinning apartments. On Tuesday I was doing the dishes (I have no dishwasher so I have to fill a sink with very hot water and wash them by hand) so apparently when you are pregnant you are supposed to avoid two things (especially once you are past 8 weeks) getting too hot and standing for long periods. The oven next to me was preheating for dinner so...I had succeeded in making my kitchen about 35 degrees warmer than was really comfy for me and proceeded to stand doing the dishes. Only had a few more so when I started feeling light headed, and normally would have taken a short break till I felt okay again, I kept going and..... nearly fainted?! WHAT?! From doing the stupid dishes?! Looked it up in all my books and on my trusted websites and yup, that combo is perfect for making one so dizzy they faint. Apparently the progesterone which is making me nauseated, giving me heartburn, making me feel like I have African Sleeping Sickness, and making me kind of achy all over, also has the effect of stretching the lining of blood vessels effectively decreasing your blood pressure (which will be very important next month when I am carrying around about .25 more blood but for now...)
So, why does that make me dizzy, and nearly faint (I am not the kind of woman who is cozy with the idea of swooning)?
Because it makes it harder to get blood all the way up to your head when you are standing for a long time. (and since the head is where the brain goes, it's kind of important that it gets the blood flow it needs. If it isn't, your body WILL take extreme measures to ensure it does ie; forcing you into a prone position which is far more conducive to blood flowing to the brain. fainting)
Now, I didn't actually faint, but my ears were ringing there was a blurry ring around my vision and I listed my way to a chair where I put my head as close to between my knees as a fat lady can manage. Then I researched the dizziness. At first lifting my head off the back of the chair made the entire apartment feel like it was flipping upside down. Once it got better, I followed the advice of the sites I had checked and laid on my left side (easiest for the heart to distribute blood throughout the body) and waited for it to pass. Luckily the LOML finished the dishes for me (I was so mad cause there were only two left when I had to give up) but it has taken it's toll and I have found out that dizziness (more so then what comes naturally to me) is my new normal for now. Trying to deal with it and still live life is kind of interesting. It means I have to take frequent breaks when doing the dishes and can't take showers that are too long.
Anyway only 4 days until we see the Bean! (who is actually the size of a green olive right now, our own little Thumbellina or Tom Thumb)
Ciao for now~
marymontmama

Neato

A couple of things, actually from today and yesterday (besides the excitement over the first appointment and the ultrasound next week):
I found something in an old journal which made me laugh out loud. If the baby does come around it's due date, specifically if it is born on May 29th...it will be born exactly 20 years after I graduated from high school. (in case you didn't know it before now...37 is a bit older) I thought that was neat though.
The other thing is that we got accepted for the birthweight study. We are both super excited about that! (come on, we get a free 3D ultra sound picture of the Bean!!!!)
We discussed genetic testing yesterday with the nurse midwife, and will need to do more research. Our only concern is there are some chromosomal disorders which are "not compatible with life" meaning the baby will definitely be stillborn...or will not live past birth if they are a live birth... that is a discussion for another day though...today we will focus on excitement and cool things.
Today marks the entrance into week 9 (probably)~ cue Pomp and Circumstance, Bean has graduated from embryo to fetus! (they grow up so fast, sniff, sniff) And while it will be about 2 months before I can feel it, the Bean is moving around (just as fidgety as daddy already, I am sure...we are bound to have a wiggler).
Mood swings have been pretty bad this past week. (No Danielle, I am not going back on the antidepressants) Which according to all the literature is perfectly normal, my hormones are going through a major surge right now putting the finishing touches on the placenta etc. (who knew I was being so productive while the dishes are currently piling up again in my sink...ugh)
Well, I think that is all for today folks.
Ciao for now~
marymontmama

Super excited

Next week we are getting an ultrasound to get a better idea where we are in our pregnancy. Which means just one week til we get to see Bean for the first time! Can't wait! They say we can bring a recordable DVD and will have a copy of it! So expect footage to be uploaded as soon as we get home that day, probably.
As for the first meeting with the nurse midwife...she is AWESOME! And has assured me that everyone else in the practice is as well so no matter whom I deal with during prenatal care or labor they are all very midwifery centered and so I can put my mind at ease.
Felt quite a bit better today as far as morning sickness but probably shouldn't jinx myself by saying that.
Very tired now (been exhausted today) going to try to sleep so I can be up tomorrow.

Side effects may include.....

So here's the thing, as soon as I thought I might be pregnant I stopped taking the antidepressant which I have been on for about 10 years. What are the side effects of stopping said medication? Which they call "discontinuation syndrome" because calling it withdrawal makes it sound as if you can develop a dependency on these drugs...which you can but whatever. Anyway the side effects of going off of them...wait for it.....
-dizziness
-nausea
-fatigue
-breast tenderness
Sound familiar to anyone else? Also of course there are mood swings and unexplained bouts of weeping....yeah so basically I have been experiencing pregnancy squared. Which is fine because the withdrawal symptoms should begin fading soon, then I will just have pregnancy symptoms from there on out.
It does help explain why there are days where getting showered and dressed makes me feel like I need a nap.
According to most of the research I have done, I only have about 2 more weeks of withdrawal symptoms, and hopefully (if I fall into the "average" category) I will be out of the woods as far as that goes.
Got a lot to get done in very little time coming up here and I'm not going to lie I am not entirely thrilled about that but...sometimes you just have to suck it up and push through.
Ciao for now~
marymontmama

Week 8 begins?

So, there has been a tad bit of confusion cast on estimated due date since we first started this adventure. For now we are assuming the estimated is right. (or as correct as it can be) but neither of us will be terribly surprised to find that we are almost three weeks further along than originally believed.
Our first appointment with an OB nurse to do the blood tests, medical history etc is scheduled for Monday October 15th, and we are both extremely excited! We are also looking into participating in an area research study which would mean more ultra sounds etc, we would get a free 3d image if the baby!!! (not to mention a car seat and the chance to help other first time moms to have a better chance of healthy outcomes). Hopefully we will be approved :)!
Beyond that, the people whom we dealt with for the financial aspects of the process today were WONDERFUL! Can't believe how drastically different today's experience was from last time.
This may not be as bad as I first thought, however we shall see when we get back to the medical side of things. (fingers crossed though. Maybe the people we encountered the first day just hate their jobs and that's why they were so brusque etc)
All in all I am so excited for Monday, it isn't even funny. Having trouble sleeping lately because I am so excited!
Almost forgot;Bean will be working on a more refined face (upper lip, tip of nose, eyelids) fingers and toes becoming more differentiated and Bean's heart is starting to beat at 150 beats per minute.